Hierarchical Triggers for Databases

1. A method for organizing triggers, the method comprising: creating a super-trigger in a database application executing on a server computer, by storing metadata that (a) establishes activation of one or more triggers as one or more sub-triggers of said super-trigger, (b) specifies a condition, and (c) specifies an action; when said super-trigger is activated, performing, on the server computer, the steps of: determining an activation count that indicates how many times said one or more sub-triggers of said super-trigger have been activated; based on said activation count exceeding a threshold values, determining whether said condition is satisfied; and in response to determining that said condition is satisfied, performing said action on the server computer; wherein said threshold value is defined using a key word defined in multidimensional expression syntax.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said metadata establishes a plurality of triggers as sub-triggers of said super-trigger.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the super-trigger is a first super-trigger; the method further comprises: creating a second super-trigger by storing metadata that (a) establishes one or more triggers as one or more sub-triggers of said second super-trigger, (b) specifies a condition, and (c) specifies an action; when said second super-trigger is activated, performing the steps of: determining an activation count that indicates how many times said one or more sub-triggers of said second super-trigger have been activated; based on said activation count, determining whether said condition is satisfied; and in response to determining that said condition is satisfied, performing said action; the second super-trigger is a sub-trigger of the first super-trigger.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein: said condition is one of a plurality of conditions specified for said super-trigger in said metadata; and said plurality of conditions is defined using case-then-else constructs.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining an activation count includes retrieving information from a log.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said determining whether said condition is satisfied includes evaluating a threshold value based on one or more of said one or more sub-triggers against a fixed value.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing said action includes sending an email.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing said action includes writing data corresponding to any activated sub-trigger to a file.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activation count is based, at least in part, on how many times a particular sub-trigger of said super-trigger was activated.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the metadata for said super-trigger specifies: a plurality of conditions, and a plurality of actions that correspond to the plurality of conditions; the step of determining whether said condition is satisfied, includes determining which condition of the plurality of conditions are satisfied; and performing said action includes performing the action that corresponds to the condition, of the plurality of conditions, that is satisfied.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of: creating a super-trigger by storing metadata that (a) establishes activation of one or more triggers as one or more sub-triggers of said super-trigger, (b) specifies a condition, and (c) specifies an action; when said super-trigger is activated, performing the steps of: determining an activation count that indicates how many times said one or more sub-triggers of said super-trigger have been activated; based on said activation count exceeding a threshold value, determining whether said condition is satisfied; and in response to determining that said condition is satisfied, performing said action; wherein said threshold value is defined using a key word defined in multidimensional expression syntax.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 wherein said metadata establishes a plurality of triggers as sub-triggers of said super-trigger.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein: the super-trigger is a first super-trigger; the computer-readable storage medium further comprising instructions for: creating a second super-trigger by storing metadata that (a) establishes one or more triggers as one or more sub-triggers of said second super-trigger, (b) specifies a condition, and (c) specifies an action; when said second super-trigger is activated, performing the steps of; determining an activation count that indicates how many times said one or more sub-triggers of said second super-trigger have been activated; based on said activation count, determining whether said condition is satisfied; and in response to determining that said condition is satisfied, performing said action; the second super-trigger is a sub-trigger of the first super-trigger.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein: said condition is one of a plurality of conditions specified for said super-trigger in said metadata; and said plurality of conditions is defined using case-then-else constructs.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein determining an activation count includes retrieving information from a log.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein determining whether said condition is satisfied includes evaluating a threshold value based on one or more of said one or more sub-triggers against a fixed value.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein performing said action includes sending an email.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein performing said action includes writing data corresponding to any activated sub-trigger to a file.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the activation count is based, at least in part, on how many times a particular sub-trigger of said super-trigger was activated.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein: the metadata for said super-trigger specifies: a plurality of conditions, and a plurality of actions that correspond to the plurality of conditions; the step of determining whether said condition is satisfied, includes determining which condition of the plurality of conditions are satisfied; and performing said action includes performing the action that corresponds to the condition, of the plurality of conditions, that is satisfied.